An everyday kind of love

Yesterday was Valentines Day. The ONE day every year where we are bashed over the head gently prodded to remember to buy something show how much we love those precious to us. I am from America. America does an excellent job of over-commercialising the little holidays in between New Year’s and Christmas. We can thank Hallmark I suppose! Coincidentally, I worked for Hallmark through my University days! Christmas begins in July in Hallmark stores, after all! However, I digress. I saw a LOT of “we don’t really celebrate Valentines Day but…” statuses on Facebook yesterday. It would seem that the majority of my couple friends actually acknowledged Valentines Day yesterday! This also included my husband who, too, does not usually cave to societal pressure to buy ridiculously priced bouquets of roses and sickly sweet boxes of chocolate. In this day of bargain-basement supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl who daily deliver unbeatable prices on everything under the sun including flowers, it would seem that the bouquets of yester-year which cost £20-60 are now remarkably less costly! Most supermarkets are offering a dozen roses for £10 now! How lucky for us! That means that husbands who are loathe to shell out unnecessary pounds to demonstrate their love are now far more keen if it only costs them a Tenner! Huzzah!

Yesterday I was treated to a beautiful bouquet of red roses, breakfast in bed including scrambled eggs on toast topped by smoked salmon, a cup of tea and a flute of Prosecco & orange juice as well as cards from Mark and the children. Mark, in turn, received a new coffee mug and a card from me as well as cards and sweeties for the children. It was a rather lovely lovey morning! I considered myself very lucky indeed.

But what’s wrong with an everyday kind of love? What’s wrong with celebrating a Saturday morning with breakfast in bed, tea and Prosecco? What’s wrong with cards in the postbox on a Tuesday? What’s wrong with sweeties and bubbles on a Friday? What’s wrong with a Saturday DVD night with popcorn and ice cream sundaes? What’s wrong with staying in your pyjamas on a Sunday morning while you cuddle on the couch to watch Cbeebies (even though you hate it!)? What’s wrong with buying your Other Half a chocolate bar you know they love just because you know they love it? What’s wrong with a text saying, “How’s your day going today! Just remember, I love you!” What’s wrong with an extra-long hug at the door before your Other Half heads off to work? What’s wrong with popping a sticky note into your daughter’s school book bag so she finds it at some point during the day and smiles when she thinks of you?

Absolutely nothing! Why not celebrate an everyday kind of love EVERY DAY?! Life is too darn short to wait for holidays like Valentines Day to say, “I love you”. We’ve got Lent coming up next week (Wednesday 18 February to be exact). Here is the PERFECT opportunity to get yourself in gear by celebrating an EVERYDAY KIND OF LOVE for 40 days. Make a dedication, a commitment for 40 days to show everyone you care about how very much you love them. Here are just a few ideas, carrying on from the ones above:

Get up 15 minutes early to get the breakfast dishes out, brew the tea and have breakfast ready for your family instead of having a rushed morning before heading out on the school run.

Buy sticky notes in different colours for each member of your family- share a happy note with them every few days, left in places where only THEY will find them.

Make cookies for an after school treat and allow the children to decorate them and EAT THEM!

Put your phone away, gather the children together and either play a board game, challenge them to a video game or pop in a favourite DVD.

Make a list of “Things that make us happy as a family” and put it in a visible place in the kitchen. Ask your children to choose one of the activities on a day where you can all do that activity together.

Make banana split sundaes for everyone including squirty cream. Teach your children how to squirt it directly into their mouth!

Make a Happy Family playlist of music that you can dance to. Pop it on one evening before bedtime or one morning before school and have a little boogie!

Buy a bunch of carnations and some other small flowers. Make small posies tied with a ribbon or an elastic band and have the children deliver them to friends or family.

Ring up a relative you haven’t spoken to in a while, for no reason other than you would like to catch up.

Buy 40 postcards and send out one each day to a friend or family member.

Make a double batch of an easy dinner (spag bol, cottage pie, chilli con carne, risotto, paella) and box up a portion or two for a friend or relative to enjoy for a lunch or easy dinner for one.

Ask a neighbour if there is anything you can pick up for them at the shop on your next outing.

Write I LOVE YOU in chalk on the footpath before your children come home from school.

Surprise a friend or other half to take them to lunch one day.

Is there a special BOGOF offer at your favourite supermarket? Instead of keeping the ONE FREE for yourself, give it to a friend!

Brew the tea for your nightly cup of tea and serve it to your Other Half with a smile.

Commit to NOT nagging your children or OH for one entire day or weekend. See if it makes a difference!

Take your children to Soft Play without complaint or clock watching & just let them have FUN! Join them for a whiz around the play place before heading for home. Don’t forget the slide!

We spent yesterday having an everyday kind of love. It involved roses & breakfast in bed, laughter at the local Soft Play place, comfort and giggles at home and ice cream sundaes while watching a favourite DVD. We didn’t do ANY of this BECAUSE it was Valentines Day (well, maybe the roses were attributed to Valentines Day), we really do tend to do this EVERY DAY. You’ve got an opportunity to try celebrating an everyday kind of love starting on Wednesday…are you in? #embracehappy

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Published by Karin

Karin Joyce is a 40-something wife & mother who is helping to spread happiness one smile at a time. Karin's favourite mantra/quote is: Not every day is good but there is good in every day. Find your good, celebrate your good and share your good with the world.
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